EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Going into the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers, given the underwhelming state of the developmental corps, were in position to add a player they needed from a personnel and skill standpoint.It was perhaps easy to expect one of the centers to fall to Los Angeles at No. 25. The Atlanta Hawks selected St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor at No. 23, leaving options such as Tarris Reed Jr. of Connecticut or Chris Cenac Jr. of Houston available.But a player of greater value was dropping as well: Baylor shooting guard Cameron Carr, who was ranked 18th on The Athletic draft master Sam Vecenie’s big board. Before the draft, we identified improved shooting depth at shooting guard and improved “team athleticism” at small forward. Carr, who would fit the needs of a Lakers team that was one of the slowest in the league and which made and attempted the fewest catch-and-shoot 3s of all 30 teams, was not a player we expected the Lakers to get a chance to draft.With the New York Knicks basically auctioning the 24th pick in the draft, the Lakers ran instead of walked to secure that slot, giving up the 25th pick, cash and the draft rights to two overseas second-round picks in their 30s (Chinemelu Elonu and Louis Labeyrie) in order to select Carr.Three days later, Carr was elated to sit down and be introduced in Los Angeles.“Walking in the building, first thing, it’s like you just notice just the rich tradition and the people that have been here before you,” Carr said Friday from Los Angeles’ practice facility. “It’s like a moment of happiness, you know? As a kid, you always dreamed of walking across the stage and accomplishing everything you wanted to.“So, man, (it) just felt good to walk in the gym and look at all the people that came before me. And now I’m in their shoes.”Carr will wear No. 43 with the Lakers, a jersey worn by Lakers champion Mychal Thompson that hasn’t been seen since Brian Cook in 2007. But 43 is a family number. Carr is the son of Chris Carr, a 1995 second-round pick of the Phoenix Suns and a shooting guard who spent six seasons in the NBA for six teams, most notably the Minnesota Timberwolves.Cameron credits his father for letting him “fall in love with the game of basketball myself,” allowing him to commence his own basketball journey.“Once I finally fell in love with it and found my why, on why I wanted to play basketball, then I feel like I could go to him with more conversation, connection or questions,” Carr said Friday. “And it made our bond stronger. He was a good outlet for me because he’s been where I wanted to go, and he’s been down the road I’ve wanted to go.“He’s just been a heck of a person to stand next to, and especially in tough times. Sometimes I don’t know where to go, man, I can lean on him and ask him. He’s been a lot of help for me.”